Baron Reading Response

Before You Read

1. Technology is electronics and they keep expanding with time. Examples of: computers, cell phone, ipad Examples not of: nail polish, clothes, trash cans

 Summary

In the article "From Pencils to Pixels:  The Stages of Literacy Technologies" Baron talks about how technology has affects on literature. He explains that most people today think of computers when they think of technology, I did, but really a pencil is a technology. He explains that technology has made writing easier. He uses figures throughout his writing to show the changes in technology. He is writing to people wanting to learn about literary technology.

Synthesis

Baron's article "From Pencils to Pixels:  The Stages of Literacy Technologies" relates to Bernhardt and Berger. In Bernhardt's article "Seeing the Text" he explains the important of visuals in text. Baron uses six figures throughout his writing. In Berger's article "Ways of Seeing" he not only uses images, but he compares the past and the present just as Baron did.

Thoughts

I thought this article was very true. I think of computers when I think of technology. I also have never thought about technology affecting writing. I thought Baron's article put new thinkings about literary technology in my mind.

Question

QD 1. The Unabomber was a writer who thought computers were ruining humans connections. Computers make us too connected. In his writings he threatens people who advance technology. 

Dialectical Notebook

Response	Quotation
Writing is from the brain to whatever it is put down on. Writing is writing.	“Weather it consists on energized particles on a screen or ink embedded in paper or lines gouged into clay tablets, writing itself is always first and foremost a technology, a way of engineering materials in order to accomplish an end” (424).
This quote is so funny, but it does describe what the Unabomber did and that was threaten computer scientist.	“While I was glad not to be a direct target of this mad bomber, I admit that I felt left out” (425).
The development of technology is the development of literacy.	“The development of the pencil is also a paradigm of the development of literacy” (426).
Things may be invented for certain reasons, but usually form into something else. The computer is now personal and the pencil is now for writing.	“Similarly, the mainframe computer when it was introduced was intended to perform numerical calculations too tedious or complex to do by hand” (434).
As technology changes, literacy changes. Only time will tell what that change actually is.	“How the computer will eventually alter literacy practices remains to be seen” (439).